There was a week hiatus but film club is back for at least (hopefully) three more screenings before this semester is over! The next film is Providence which is a blend of dramatic narrative with quite unusual editing that accompany the motif of ‘memory’ that reoccur (well, it is the entirety of the film so to speak) in so many of Resnais’ works. The film is essentially a story being told by a dying writer named Clive Langham (played by John Gielgud) and his subjective portrayal of friends and family through events which are repeated over multiple iterations with variations, analogous to the way we remember memories, always ever so slightly distorted from one recollection to another. The trailer is quite useless for this film but rest assured that the film is enjoyable to watch (and not too esoteric or art housey).

The plot of the film is centralized around an aging news anchor Howard Beale who is fired by the network due to poor ratings. This event is a catalyst that turns Howard Beale into a raving truth-teller who becomes an exploitable goldmine for the network. Despite being made over 30 years ago, the film relevancy even more emphatic as it describes the situation today about television, news, and the main stream media. A classic that resonates truer than when the film was made.

*because conference services gave us an unusable room last Wednesday, we’ll be screening Network on Thursday instead!

Screening on Thursday, November 3rd, 20116:00 to 8:30 pm@ John Hodgins Engineering Building (JHE) A101

Finally! The first screening of Film Club has arrived! We’ll be screening films back to back the coming weeks (instead of every other week) alternating Wednesday & Thursday. But back to Brick (2005)! The plot is essentially about Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Brendan investigating the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend implicated with an underground drug ring–kinda like a highschool modern noir film. It’s one of JGL’s earlier lead roles, so come check it out at least for that.

]]>https://macfilmclub.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/10-brick-2005/feed/0macfilmclubBrick (2005)Film Club 2011-2012https://macfilmclub.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/film-club-2011-2012/
https://macfilmclub.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/film-club-2011-2012/#respondFri, 09 Sep 2011 20:52:47 +0000http://macfilmclub.wordpress.com/?p=108Continue reading →]]>Greetings everyone! Film Club has been ‘renewed’ for another year at McMaster and will provide ongoing film screenings for the academic year!

We were able to show nine films last year and we will try to push for 10-12 across the two semesters. That being said, for newcomers and interested members, the way the club works is basically you show up to screenings you want to go and have a good time. We’ve always had a very sporadic number of attendees across all the screenings and I don’t think this will change.

Looking back on the films screened last year, I think some films may have been selected without much thought for the audience (sometimes kind of gender restricting?). Will try to think through the film selections more carefully this year. And please feel free to make suggestions as well!

Hopefully the screenings can start sometime late September or early October, regardless, we will update you by email/website so stay tuned.

You may recognize these classic lines from Don Hertzfeldt animated viral short Rejected (2000) where a series of off-the-wall family channel infomercials are compiled into a hilarious and bizarre experience. What you may not know however is that Don’s repertoire extends much further than random dark humor of Rejected! He has a large body of work that has gone largely unnoticed by the mainstream audience and I think it will be worthwhile to see what else he’s done. Don’s Academy-Award nominated and Palme d’Or winning animated works have received over one hundred and fifty awards around the world!

So for film club’s final screening, we’re going go through a chronicle of Don Hertzfeldt’s works!

Taking a break from live-action feature films we turn towards some animated gems! We’ll be screening an animated film by Hayao Miyazaki, often referenced as the Walt Disney of Japan. Most people may recognize his later films such as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo, which can be seen as maturations of his earlier works like Castle in the Sky. Miyazaki’s early films produced with Studio Ghibli are recognizably Miyazaki-esque, the narrative leading with a female protagonist thrown into a string of events that seem too overwhelming for her to handle. The animation could be seen as a bit old-fashioned but still retains that beautiful level of quality for a film that was made in the 1980’s.

Apologies for the short notice folks! But alas, we shall be screening the crime classic Pulp Fiction on Monday, directed by none other than the Quentin Tarantino. Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman and Bruce Willis, the film highlights itself in its eclectic and refreshing dialogue, as well as its unconventional narrative structure. If you haven’t seen a Quentin Tarantino film before, prepare for a treat!

Screening on Monday, March 7th, 20116:30 to 9:00 pm (running time is 150 minutes)@ BSB 108

Maybe it’s no surprise that the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, the director of the Godfather, would also have a knack for film-making but I feel Sofia has proved her mastery with Lost in Translation. The film revolves around Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlet Johansson), two individuals at completely different points in theirs lives somehow stumbling into a miraculous relationship that is the centerpiece of the narrative. The film establishes a strong sense of alienation and loneliness set within the culturally foreign backdrop of Japan, whereupon the two characters begin their intimate encounter. Narratives aside, the film is also beautifully shot and the soundtrack is excellent to boot. One of my favourite films to revisit. I hope to see you guys there.

Screening on Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
6:30 to 8:20 pm (running time is 104 minutes)
@ Psychology Building 155